Overview

The MA in History and Heritage will encourage you to understand the legal and institutional framework within which elements of our 'Heritage' are created, inherited and preserved.  Balanced by excellent training in History and the historian’s professional practice, you will develop the necessary conceptual awareness and practical understanding of the Heritage Industry and related vocational occupations.

The course is a full-time programme, taught over one year, and is divided into two parts over three semesters.  In part one, you will study a selection of core and optional modules worth 120 credits.  In part two, you will demonstrate your learning in a written dissertation of less than 20,000 words, worth an additional 60 credits.   Whether core subjects or specialist options, the modules you will study are designed to push you to better all of your academic skills and increase your subject knowledge.  All study modules are designed to provide intellectual stimulation for your final dissertation. 

In your history training, you will be encouraged to explore a range of historiographical traditions and to understand the ever-changing definitions of what it means to be a professional historian.  You will gain a wealth of experience in interrogating a wide range of historical sources and, in doing so, be required to develop original, creative and systematic approaches to problem solving.  By evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions, you will gain critical insights into the work of historians and historical models which you are studying. 

In your heritage training, you will interrogate the heritage industry, the interplay between history and heritage, and the uses of history and/or heritage in particular countries and eras.   You will also have the opportunity to develop your practical experience in this field in an optional placement with a local heritage site or organisation.  Practical experience of this specialist subject, allied with rigorous training in the theories and methodologies of the discipline, will set you up for success upon entering the jobs market.

In addition to the subject-specific knowledge, this study programme is constructed in such a way to develop a strong compliment of research, analytic and discursive skills that you can draw upon in many postgraduate employment situations.  The knowledge you gain in this specific, historical MA will make you a thorough and dynamic academic historian and a practised expert in heritage, but the manner of your learning will equip you with an array of transferrable skills.  You will be an attractive opportunity for any employer who prizes clarity, independence of thought and self-motivated, analytical rigour.

Fact file

Duration:	One year full-time. The academic year is divided into three semesters, but this course is administered in two parts: Part One runs from October to May; Part Two runs from June to September.
Contact Time:	Approximately 6 hours a week in the first two semesters.  During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.
Assessment:	Part 1 of the course is delivered and assessed through seminars, tutorials and essay assingments. In Part 2, the successful acceptance of your dissertation (up to 20,000 words) leads to the award of an MA.
Entry Requirements:	BA honours degree (2:1) in a related subject at undergraduate level and accompanying references.  We will consider applicants with other experience which gives an equivalent basis for entry
English Language Requirements:	If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test. Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must take a University-recognised test of academic English language proficiency: IELTS or TOEFL.  The required IELTS minimum proficiency level is 6.5.  For TOEFL, the minimum scores are as follows: 580 for the paper-based test; 237 for the computer-based test (with an essay rating of 5.0); and a score of 93 for the internet-based test.  More information on IELTS can be found here [Link: www.ielts.org] and, for TOEFL, here [Link: www.ets.org/toefl/]
Course Fees:	For details of fees, please view this page. [Link: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/eu-taught/tuitonfees/ There are a number of Aberystwyth Scholarships and International Excellence Scholarships (AIES) to help fund the studies of students who meet specific criteria.  In addition, accommodation is guaranteed to all international students.



At a glance

Part One: Modules		Part Two 
Semester One Students must take the following: HYM5130 Concepts and Sources in Heritage Studies HYM0210 Skills and Sources of The Historian: Introduction And 20 credits from the following:	Semester Two Students must take the following: HYM1030 Dissertation 1 And one of the following: HYM5230 Heritage Organisations And The Presentation Of The Past HYM7230 History from Below: Approaches to the Study of Social History HYM3730 The Georgian Spa and Seaside Resort	Semester Three HYM1160 Dissertation 2
		Click on any module code to find out: what the module covers; how it’s taught and delivered; how it’s assessed. Please note that modules are subject to change and not all modules are available every year.
ILM3810 Manuscript Skills: Post Medieval and Palaeography and Diplomatic HYM0410 Skills and Sources of The Historian - Sources For Modern History PGM0410 Ways of Reading FRM1710 French Language (Beginners) FRM1810 French Language (Advanced) GEM1710 German Language (Beginners) FRM1810 German Language (Advanced) WEM0110 Welsh Language 1 ILM5120 Information and Society



Career Development

Qualification:             MA in Heritage and History

This degree will suit you:

• If you wish to interrogate historical and heritage practises at an advanced level;
• If you desire a strengthen your critical and scholarly abilities through engagement with historical sources;
• If you wish develop practical skills and gain hands-on experience in Heritage issues;
• If you aim to foster transferable skills and engage in professional and personal development for entering employment.
  

Employability

Every element of the Aberystwyth Master’s in Heritage and History enhances your employability in both vocational and more generic work situations.  Alongside the development of your subject-specific knowledge and experience, an especially noteworthy strength of this course is the emphasis on personal development.  As an emerging Master historian and heritage expert, your strengthened research and critical faculties will make you a strong candidate for any post where ideas and topics need research, analysis, discussion, expansion and classification.

The inclusion of an optional work placement within this course is highly significant.  It balances the best of theory and practice, giving you subject-specific and practical expertise, which will set you above your competitors upon entering the jobs market where experience is at a premium. The study skills, technical knowledge and hands-on experience of heritage and historical processes will give you a tremendous advantage in employment within the discipline.

Beyond Heritage and History-related work contexts, employers in any industry value creativity, research, analysis and discursive skills that you will gain in this course.  You will develop highly marketable skills which will, upon graduation, stand you in excellent stead for entry into the general jobs market.  The organisational skills you will learn on this course will help you direct and therefore make the most of your individual flair, bringing a balance of skills that prospective employers will find attractive. 

Advanced Skills in Research, Writing and Reporting

Upon completion of this degree, you will have mastered the diverse skills needed in many employment situations which require thoroughness, flair and clarity in your work disciplines.  As the assessment for this Master’s course is done through essay-writing, tutorial and seminar presentation, culminating in the dissertation of up to 20,000 words, you will receive much practise in writing and reporting, as well as rigorous feedback on your submissions.  This will develop in you a thorough knowledge of the structure, conventions and development of written communications, which will, in turn, make your writing clear, accurate and authoritative.

A host of employers look for accuracy, thoroughness, an eye for detail and the ability to find and prove connections across broad subject matter, and you certainly will have proven yourself, simply by graduating from this prestigious MA course.  

Contacts, Links and How to Apply

Tel:01970 622662

Fax:01970 622676

Email: history-enquiries@aber.ac.uk

Department of History & Welsh History

Aberystwyth University
Hugh Owen Building
Penglais
Aberystwyth
SY23 3DY

Department of History and Welsh History website

 

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